On January 21, during a midday briefing, Markus Lammert, the European Commission Spokesperson, stated that the European Commission had initiated a procedure under a newly introduced mechanism to suspend visa-free travel for Georgian holders of diplomatic, service, and official passports. He emphasized that the suspension would apply uniformly across all EU Member States and noted that the measure could later be expanded to cover the entire Georgian population.

Referring to the purpose of visa-free travel, which he said was designed to strengthen "people-to-people contacts" and promote "shared values," including "respect for human rights and democratic principles," Lammert stated that the Commission believed the actions of the Georgian authorities undermined these principles and were "inconsistent with the norms and values of the Union," while also obstructing the "steady development of economic, humanitarian, cultural, scientific and other ties between the Union and Georgia". Lammert stated that, as an initial step, the Commission had forwarded its assessment to the European Parliament and the Council, adding that once the process was adopted, it would ensure the uniform implementation of the suspension for diplomatic, service, and official passport holders throughout all member states.

Responding to questions, he stated that the suspension could be extended to the general population if there was "continued backsliding," while stressing that such a move would be "non-automatic". Addressing whether the EU could target individuals rather than documents, Lammert emphasized that the measure applied to passports rather than people, noting that diplomats often also possessed regular passports.